Heracles 2
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| Heracles 2 | |
|---|---|
 Heracles 2E2 main battle tank | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Romaia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1995–present |
| Used by | Romaia, Iavonia |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Consortium EVORA-Mikelis-Origen (EMO), a consortium formed by EVORA, Mikelis and Origen |
| No. built | ≈2000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 56.3 t (55.4 long tons; 62.1 short tons) |
| Length | 9.52 m (31.2 ft) |
| Width | 3.61 m (11.8 ft) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armor | modular composite armor Y2E2 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component. |
Main armament | 1×120 Michelis mm smoothbore gun (40 rounds) |
Secondary armament | 1x12.7 mm coaxial machine gun (1,100 rounds) Y2E3 1x35-mm autocannon |
| Engine | EVORA 12V diesel Y2E3 UEC 12V diesel 1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm |
| Transmission | Automatic SESM |
| Suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
| Fuel capacity | 1,300 litres (286 imperial gallons; 343 US gallons) |
Operational range | 550 km (342 mi) |
| Speed |
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| References | |
The Heracles 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by TBD in the 1990s for the Romaian Army. The tank first entered service in 1995 and succeeded the earlier Heracles 1 as the main battle tank of the Romaian Army. It is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon, and is powered by a V-12 twin-turbo diesel engine. Various versions have served in the Romaian Armed Forces.
Design
Armament
Primary
The Heracles 2 is armed with a modern and massive 120 mm version F1 smoothbore gun designed by Mikelis. Its barrel is 52 calibres long instead of the 44 calibre common on most main battle tanks of its generation, giving the projectile a higher muzzle velocity.
Autoloader
Located inside the turret bustle, the autoloader is designated TBD and was designed by Mikelis. The autoloader itself weighs 500 kg (empty) and has a total volume of 1.68 m3 (1.40 × 2.40 × 0.50 m). In case of ammunition cooking off, the deflagration is vented by two blow-out panels.
The autoloader allows the reloading of the gun while firing on the move, providing it a sufficient rate of fire to deal with six targets in one minute. The nominal firing sequence is below 8 seconds and the repetition rate (loading two ammunition of the same type one after another) is below 6 seconds. The autoloader is managed by a TM Origen A890120 microprocessor.
The autoloader consists of a continuous link carrier magazine made of 22 cells and a rammer assembly. It can accommodate all types of ammunition, up to six different types of ammunition can be selected. The cell positions the selected round for loading. At the same time, the main gun is decoupled from the stabilization system, indexed to 1.8° elevation and locked in alignment with the loading gutter. Then, a telescopic rammer pushes the round from the cell into the gun breech via a fiberglass gutter. After loading, the weapon is automatically driven back to the specified angle in accordance with the fire control system. In case of power outage, the conveyor can be put into motion by using a hand-cranked electric generator.
The ammunition is normally inserted in the autoloader through a port in the rear wall of the turret bustle. A control panel allows the autoloader cells to be rotated to present a new empty cell. Two barcode readers identify the introduced ammunition in order to manage its position in the conveyor at any time. If the ammunition does not have a barcode, its type is entered through the control keyboard. It is possible to replenish the autoloader under armor, through a port in the inner bulkhead by using the 18 rounds cylinder located to the right of the driver's position.